


years ago i knew your face

by spellingmynamewrong



Category: The Last Five Years (2014)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Getting Back Together, Social Media, Twitter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spellingmynamewrong/pseuds/spellingmynamewrong
Summary: This is how it starts: Cathy finds out that Jamie has a Twitter.
Relationships: Cathy Hyatt/Jamie Wellerstein
Comments: 13
Kudos: 26
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	years ago i knew your face

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pressdbtwnpages](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/gifts).



> this is the yuletide prompt i fulfilled:
> 
> "I’d love to read a story about Jamie and Cathy finding their ways back to each other. They got married (& divorced) young, maybe maturity and going through hard things in life has made them fit better.
> 
> As with my other prompts, angst and obstacles are okay, but at the end of the day I prefer my main characters to be happy and together."
> 
> pressdbtwnpages, i hope you enjoy this!

This is how it starts: Cathy finds out that Jamie has a Twitter.

Of course he does. He’s a writer living in Brooklyn, and writers living in Brooklyn have Twitters. That’s just how it works.

But it comes as a small surprise to her nonetheless. Cathy’s 32 now (32!), and she’s put her twenties and all that came with them in a box in her mind, one that’s sealed and duct-taped shut. Sometimes, it all feels like a fever dream, especially when she’s decided to try being coupled again and swipes right on a semi-attractive Tinder match. Yes, she got married and divorced within the span of five years. Yes, her ex-husband is a bestselling author. Yes, she’s still just a semi-successful actress, playing supporting roles off-Broadway and occasionally auditioning for bit parts in Netflix original series. 

But it feels distant, somehow. That Cathy was a different person—less jaded, less cynical, yet somehow less kind as well—and while she wouldn’t say that she’s reinvented herself entirely, she knows she wouldn’t recognize her 32-year-old self a decade ago. 32-year-old Cathy wears sweatpants more than dresses and gets most of her income from teaching vocal lessons in between auditions and rehearsals. 32-year-old Cathy knows she’ll never be a star, will never win a Tony, but maybe she’ll be lucky enough to be on a real Broadway stage one day, maybe even playing a part larger than the ensemble. 32-year-old Cathy and 22-year-old Cathy might be different people altogether, belonging to entirely different worlds. 

So when 32-year-old Cathy sees Jamie tweet about the newest Netflix original movie—something snarky, not entirely laugh-out-loud funny but definitely snort-air-out-of-your-nose funny—she wavers for a minute before liking it, and then, against her better instincts, clicks on his profile. After all, if 32-year-old Cathy can be different, why can’t 32-year-old Jamie?

The first thing she notices is that he tweets often—very, very often. The second is that he looks almost the same, save for a scattering of stubble around his chin. It suits him. The third is that his tweets are actually enjoyable. 

This is the most unexpected of these three new revelations: yes, Jamie has always been charismatic in that undefinable sort of way (otherwise, she wouldn’t have married him), but she’s been active on Twitter for years—who in theater isn’t, after all—and in her experience, there are far more pretentious, rude, and just plain _strange_ takes on Twitter than good ones. As a result, for Jamie, of all people, to have a Twitter feed she enjoys scrolling through is nearly incongruous with her preconceptions. 

**Jamie Wellerstein** @jamiewellerstein • 1h  
me: i’m very famous in certain circles, you just wouldn’t know them  
my airplane seatmate: could you please just pull up the window shade

 **Jamie Wellerstein** @jamiewellerstein • 3h  
actually, the worst sandwich meat is bologna. no, i am not taking further questions at this time

 **Jamie Wellerstein** @jamiewellerstein • 4h  
the hottest take anyone can ever have on this website is “some things are good, actually”

 **Jamie Wellerstein** @jamiewellerstein • 6h  
if you’re into: treatises on the breakdown of a marriage, musings about 18th century eastern european jewish tailors, and quotes you can show your friends to prove you’re smart

you should: buy my book, FIVE INEVITABLE THINGS, out oct. 17

It’s the last one that draws her attention, enough for her to actually laugh, this time, though it’s more of a bitter laugh than anything else. Jamie fictionalized her last time, after all—why wouldn’t he fictionalize the worst days of their marriage this time?

Cathy’s not a bitter person. She’s not—or if she is, she’s trying not to be. Nonetheless, she can’t resist the urge to dash off a tweet in response.

 **Cathy Hyatt** @cathy_hyatt • 2m  
Did I ever tell you guys about the time I married a guy who wrote me into his story, and then we got divorced, but I guess he’s still writing me into his stories? Glad to know he never got over me. <3 

Cathy has around 800 followers, so it’s not like any of her tweets ever go truly viral. As a result, after she posts the tweet, she exits the app and goes on with her day—chores, prepping for her next audition, and a fruitless hour swiping through Tinder. Not for the first time, she wonders how it’s possible for her to not be attracted to _anyone_ who comes up in her Tinder matches. Maybe she should just take her mother up on her offer to set Cathy up with the son of one of her friends, even if that son is 38, has no job besides running a podcast and grifting money by selling terrible merchandise, and spits when he talks. 

That’s why she’s surprised when she picks up her phone a few hours later to discover that she has thousands—no, almost _ten thousand_ —likes and retweets. Even more surprising is the fact that one of those retweets is from Jamie himself. She braces herself as she opens it, expecting it to be some good-natured ribbing at the least and cruelty masked as a joke at the worst; after all, in all likelihood, the bulk of his newest novel probably _isn’t_ just the Tragic Tale of Cathy and Jamie, Redux. 

Instead, though, what she finds surprises her.

 **Jamie Wellerstein** @jamiewellerstein • 15m  
whoops, you caught me! i’ll give you a free copy of the book as an apology? ;)

Again, she can’t quite help but laugh. For the first time in months, she’s reminded of why she enjoyed being with Jamie in the first place: for a short time, he made her feel like she was the only girl that mattered in the world. For the second time that day, she sucks in a deep breath and decides to take a leap of faith—she opens her DMs and sends a message to Jamie. 

**Cathy Hyatt**  
The winky face might have been overkill.  
Wed 6:03 PM

To her surprise, almost immediately, Jamie responds.

 **Jamie Wellerstein**  
but how else would i have gotten your attention?  
Wed 6:06 PM

 **Cathy Hyatt** **  
** Same old you, I guess. Where did the all-lowercase aesthetic come from?  
Wed 6:07 PM

 **Jamie Wellerstein**  
it’s the cool new thing for authors! it makes us seem down-to-earth and incredibly lame at the same time :)  
Wed 6:08 PM

 _God, I miss you,_ she thinks. A moment later, she shakes her head furiously. No, she doesn’t miss Jamie. She can’t miss Jamie. Jamie cheated on her, and he _lied_ to her, and—and she yelled at him, and accused him of being everything bar the Antichrist himself, and they fell apart. They fell apart, yet Jamie is still the only person Cathy can say that she’s truly loved in that way, the only person who ever made her laugh without abandon. The only one of her exes that she would ever even consider talking to still, despite everything, as this afternoon has proven. 

**Cathy Hyatt**  
So how’ve you been?  
Wed 6:15 PM

 **Jamie Wellerstein**  
pretty good! excited for the new book launch, etc. actually, if you’re up for it, want to meet up for coffee sometime? i’m still in the city, and my schedule’s pretty free right now  
Wed 6:18 PM

Things Cathy should do: say no. It’s the logical choice. He’s her _ex-husband._ They haven’t really even spoken in years. She should know better than to start this up all over again. 

Things Cathy does not do: say no.

 **Cathy Hyatt**  
I’m free on Friday, if that works for you?  
Wed 6:22 PM

 **Jamie Wellerstein**  
works great. i’ll send you an address later?  
Wed 6:23 PM

 **Cathy Hyatt** ****  
Sounds great. Talk soon!  
Wed 6:24 PM

 _Talk soon?_ She winces, realizing how much she sounds like a middle-aged executive. Nonetheless, though, she screenshots the address of the coffee shop once Jamie sends it, and on Friday, she finds herself sliding into the red leathered seats of a coffee shop on the Upper West Side, sitting across from Jamie, who’s smiling broadly and clad in an absolutely ridiculous Hawaiian shirt. 

“It’s great to see you again,” Jamie says. “You know, when you posted that tweet, I almost did a double take. I mean, what were the chances that you’d even find my Twitter?”

“Well, I _am_ an actress,” she replies. “You never know when _Dear Evan Hansen_ will tweet out an open casting call.”

“Makes sense,” Jamie says, nodding. “So how’ve you been? Any big projects coming up.”

She steels her shoulders, wondering if this was all just a pretense for him to brag about how wonderfully he’s been doing. “Not really, actually. Too many cooks in the kitchen, I guess—or too many auditioners on stage. I’ve mostly been doing off-Broadway.”

“But do you like it?” Jamie asks. 

“I—” Cathy would have said no, a few years ago. A few years ago, when it seemed like she would never make any inroads into her dream at all, and she might as well pack it all up and go study for a real estate license or something. But she does, despite it all. She enjoys the feeling of performing, and no matter how many roles she doesn’t manage to get, she picks herself back up again and keeps going. “I do. I enjoy it.”

“Then it’s worth it,” Jamie says. “As long as you like doing it, it’s worth it. And—”

She braces herself for a tactless, boasting comment. “And?”

“If they don’t cast you, they’re all idiots,” he says firmly. “Cathy, you’re the most talented person I’ve ever met, and if they can’t see that, there’s something wrong with them, not you.”

“Even with all your fancy author friends?” she jokes, not meaning to sound as bitter as she does. “And all their fancy awards?”

Jamie laughs. “Yes, even them.” A sober look crosses over his face. “Look, Cathy, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she asks, knowing exactly what she wants him to be sorry for and estimating the odds of him actually being sorry as less than 25%. 

Today, though, Jamie does seem to be intent on surprising her. “For not noticing. I kept just—shoving what was going right for me in your face, sort of, when things weren’t going so great for you. And I should have been kinder. And God, I hope this goes without saying, but I shouldn’t have cheated on you. We weren’t working, but—that wasn’t the way we should have ended. It shouldn’t have been.”

“Thank you,” she says softly. “I’m sorry for—for being jealous. And I’m sorry for putting you down, and not being happy when things worked out for you. I should have tried harder too.”

“We really made a mess of it, didn’t we?” Jamie says, smiling wryly. “And I bet some lucky guy’s scooped you up by now. Tell him that I said that he’s the luckiest guy in the world, will you?”

Cathy rolls her eyes. “Well, I would if there was a guy, but thank you anyway.”

“You’re single?” he asks, sounding genuinely surprised. “Why?”

“Probably my fault, honestly,” she smiles. “High standards and the weirdness of audition schedules do not a healthy relationship make.”

“Well, then, those guys don’t know what they’re missing out on,” Jamie insists. “Seriously. To be honest, Cathy, I made so many fucking mistakes when we were together, but looking back—I think that first year we were together was the happiest one of my life.”

God, is he _flirting_ with her? It seems so ridiculous, she practically has to bite back a laugh. It seems like the plot of a bad Hallmark movie: divorced man and woman meet up at a coffee shop, apologize for everything they did wrong, more on Sunday at 8/9 Central. 

But maybe she should just let it slide. Jamie’s always been one for gratuitous praise; Jamie’s always been one for gratuitous everything, to be honest. On the other hand, though, she’s here with him already, so she might as well bite.

“Okay, Jamie, what are we really here for?” she asks. “What’s this supposed to be?”

“What do you mean?” Jamie replies, sounding genuinely confused. “This is coffee?”

“Well, yes, but—what are we here for? What’s going on? I mean, from my point of view, I replied to one of your tweets, we talked for a little bit, and now—now you’re flirting with me? Is that it? Or maybe I’m just going insane.”

Jamie shakes his head fervently. “God, no. No, you aren’t going insane. I just—God, how do I say this.” He lets out a deep sigh, looking solemn. “Look, it’s been a hard few years for me too. You know, the day after we settled the divorce—”

“God, don’t remind me.”

“Sorry. The day after, I woke up, looked at myself in the mirror, and said, ‘You fucking idiot. You just made the worst mistake in your life.’ And I still think that, by the way. We could have been—we could have been so much more.”

“Do you really think that, or are you just saying that?” she asks. “Maybe we were good in the beginning, but God, by the end, we were a fucking trainwreck.”

“Well, that’s why we ended,” he shrugs. “And now we’re here. I’m single, you’re single, and Cathy, if you don’t mind me saying this, I miss you. I miss you, and talking to you now, I know that I’ve missed you for the right reasons.” 

“Well, we’ve only been here for less than an hour,” she says. “Things could get worse.”

Jamie laughs. “If you insist. But I’m not joking, Cathy. I’ve missed you. And I think you seeing my tweet—that was serendipity. We were meant to find each other again.”

“I think you’re getting too fond of tropes, if I’m being honest,” she says. “Brain of an author and all that.”

“Maybe. But tell me one thing, Cathy: have you missed me too?”

 _No,_ she wants to say. _No, I haven’t missed you at all._ But she has, hasn’t she? Just being here, in this coffee shop with Jamie—that proves to the world that she has. And in the safety of her own mind, it’s been clear too: she misses him, misses him with all the pain of a widow and all the hope of a bride on her wedding day. 

It will be a mistake if she says yes, but she does it anyway. “I have. God, I have.”

“Oh, thank God,” Jamie says. 

“Thank God?”

“Well, for a few minutes there, I wondered if I’d misjudged everything,” he says, shrugging. “But it looks like I didn’t. Look, Cathy, I know that this might be a terrible mistake, but do you want to meet up again? Maybe over the weekend? Like I said before, my schedule right now is almost totally free.”

“You’re right. It might be a terrible mistake,” she replies. “But—I am.”

Jamie smiles at her, that broad, shining, all too familiar smile. And for the first time, she thinks that maybe 32-year-old Cathy and 22-year-old Cathy might have something in common after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> would love kudos + comments! <3


End file.
